2018 Lego Trains

[JopieK]

As soon as the review train from Billund arrives I'll scrutinize it to a severe test, hope I can open it as well without breaking it.

[ElectroDiva]

When are you getting your review copy @JopieK and will you be getting both sets?

 

I am particularly interested to find out how control of multiple PF2/PU devices will work - whether that can be done with the new Bluetooth remote or has to be done with an app. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have implemented the ability to do this somehow.

 

If you could also somehow do a performance test against the old PF train motor that would be great. I suspect they are identical with the only difference being the PF1 vs PF2 connector.

[JopieK]

Jim was kind enough to ask for it in Billund at the recent event. Although Holland is not that big he still lives not too close so I will need to be patient for the set to arrive somewhere next week probably. He is also doing a review on the other train. I'm not sure if I can do the same job as our always thorough test that Philippe did in the past (http://www.philohome.com/pf/pf.htm) but I will sure try. If the motor is not glued I might even open it up.

[cerebrus]

9 hours ago, Bartosz said:

But you don't select channel, instead you "pair" the controller to hub. And I think you can't pair it with two hubs...

With WeDo 2.0, I can control three hubs from one laptop. So that gives you control over six of a mix motors/sensors from one device. Hopefully they let you do this with the new PF2 without resorting to coding your own stuff.

Edited June 2, 2018 by cerebrus

[Roebuck]

This is probably not the right place to post this since it is about the future of creator expert trains, but I could not find the right tread

A very interesting interview, but if you only want the train part it is in the end 
 

 

 

[ElectroDiva]

Very interesting - thanks for sharing that @Roebuck. For anyone that wants to skip to the trains bit - it’s the last 4 minutes of the interview.

 

It basically confirms what people on here have been saying - the barrier with new Creator Expert trains is the size of the market for them. TLG clearly have a big enough market for regular city train releases every 4 years or so, but struggle to justify additional train sets outside of that.

 

They were able to do it with the crossover appeal of the winter village train and look like they will have even bigger crossover appeal for the upcoming Hogwarts Express.

 

I fear however that after this year’s bumper crop of new trains we will have a long wait in store for anything new again. We may get an Emerald Night re-release in the next couple of years (given how iconic it is)  - but outside of that I can’t see what *new* set would fit their crossover appeal criteria.

 

On 02/06/2018 at 10:29 AM, JopieK said:

I'm not sure if I can do the same job as our always thorough test that Philippe did in the past (http://www.philohome.com/pf/pf.htm) but I will sure try. If the motor is not glued I might even open it up.

Thanks. If it’s anywhere near as thorough as that, it will be very useful.

Edited June 3, 2018 by ElectroDiva

[Roebuck]

1 hour ago, ElectroDiva said:

I fear however that after this year’s bumper crop of new trains we will have a long wait in store for anything new again. We may get an Emerald Night re-release in the next couple of years (given how iconic it is)  - but outside of that I can’t see what *new* set would fit their crossover appeal criteria.

Well the only thing I can think of on the top of my head is the Hogwarts express, but since we are getting that this year a D2C/creator expert version is several years into the future at best  

[JopieK]

Here is a Powering Up review of the Train by our German fellow AFOL Henry (Caulius), it is unfortunately in German but I think you will get the idea even without understanding everything since he shows it very well:

 

[dr_spock]

Danke.  Didn't understand most of it. 

The old battery box was easier to change the batteries without having to pull everything out. I left the screws unscrewed and the top part comes out with the batteries when I pull on the PF connector.   Glad the new box is the same size.  Don't have to modify my existing MOCs to use it.

 

[Digger of Bricks]

13 hours ago, ElectroDiva said:

I fear however that after this year’s bumper crop of new trains we will have a long wait in store for anything new again. We may get an Emerald Night re-release in the next couple of years (given how iconic it is)  - but outside of that I can’t see what *new* set would fit their crossover appeal criteria.

If only someone could pry the merchandising rights to the Thomas the Tank Engine franchise away from Mattel, then we'd have a winner! But, alas... 

[obsidianheart]

1 hour ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Thomas the Tank Engine

I would be forced to spend so much money. Thankfully, the kiddo doesn't know about the old Duplo stuff.

[Mr Hobbles]

12 hours ago, JopieK said:

Here is a Powering Up review of the Train by our German fellow AFOL Henry (Caulius), it is unfortunately in German but I think you will get the idea even without understanding everything since he shows it very well:

 

Thanks for that! Good to know that its confirmed that Boost motors work out of the box with the new Powered Up Hub and Remote.

[Zetroc]

Well there's a really easy answer to that point about the Holiday Train attracting more types of fans, isn't there: a Creator Expert Hogwart's Express that is at the same level of design quality as the Emerald Night, with an alternative decals set, and designed to take the new power functions.  People like me who have no interest in Harry Potter can still buy it and use the second sticker set.  Everyone's happy.  Shame they just brought out tht rather poorly designed HW which didn't even use the train window piece...

[Chromeknight]

perhaps the next creator fairground set should be a park train, like the Disney ones. A colourful American loco, a pair of 24 stud coaches, a nice covered platform. Sorted.

[Digger of Bricks]

1 hour ago, Zetroc said:

Well there's a really easy answer to that point about the Holiday Train attracting more types of fans, isn't there: a Creator Expert Hogwart's Express that is at the same level of design quality as the Emerald Night, with an alternative decals set, and designed to take the new power functions.  People like me who have no interest in Harry Potter can still buy it and use the second sticker set.  Everyone's happy.  Shame they just brought out tht rather poorly designed HW which didn't even use the train window piece...

I'm surprised that Lego hadn't decided to make the latest Hogwarts Express a D2C to begin with, as I'm pretty sure both general consumers and Harry Potter fans would've willingly bought that just as easily.

4 minutes ago, Chromeknight said:

perhaps the next creator fairground set should be a park train, like the Disney ones. A colourful American loco, a pair of 24 stud coaches, a nice covered platform. Sorted.

Hey, now that's a novel crossover idea I've never thought of before myself!  

[ColletArrow]

@Chromeknight That's an excellent suggestion. A style of train that hasn't been released before, fitting a currently expanding theme... perfect.

For anyone still interested in how PU stacks up against PF, @Sariel has released a new video:

 

[JopieK]

Here is the link to what Sariel posten in Technic: 

 

[Rijkvv]

The new power system was the one thing I was most curious about, but so far it seems to be a disappointment. No flexibility whatsoever. If you want to run a train, you have to do it with one train motor. I don't know what else will be released, but I'm not impressed yet.

[Lordofdragonss]

Sariel also comented If you lose range the train motor will stop... I guess this is for kids safety???

[dr_spock]

1 hour ago, Lordofdragonss said:

Sariel also comented If you lose range the train motor will stop... I guess this is for kids safety???

It is a safety feature for your train.  Otherwise, you have a run away train with no one in control.  I guess the toy version of PTC (positive train control).  

 

 

[Carefree_Dude]

20 minutes ago, dr_spock said:

It is a safety feature for your train.  Otherwise, you have a run away train with no one in control.  I guess the toy version of PTC (positive train control).  

 

 

Actually... Perhaps in the future you could get a sensor for your train, that would behave exactly like PTC? Like see the curve coming and slow down? 

I still wish Amtrak had PTC. I was on a train of theirs that crashed and killed some people because it didn't have PTC. 

[alsielou]

5 hours ago, Lordofdragonss said:

Sariel also comented If you lose range the train motor will stop... I guess this is for kids safety???

Wouldn’t that render it completely useless for large collaborative train layouts at shows, and those awesome extended all round the house layouts that my son and I love to watch on YouTube? 

[CCSG]

17 hours ago, Chromeknight said:

perhaps the next creator fairground set should be a park train, like the Disney ones. A colourful American loco, a pair of 24 stud coaches, a nice covered platform. Sorted.

 

My vote would be for a narrow gauge train. 

[freestorm]

12 hours ago, Lordofdragonss said:

Sariel also comented If you lose range the train motor will stop... I guess this is for kids safety???

I think it's not exact, (but,maybe I'm wrong..)

When Sariel test the range, he used the LEGO Boost motor.
With this motor, the remote need to send "run command" continuously (when he release to button, the motor stop)
So , if the motor is out of range, he didn't receive "run command" so it stop.

The train Motors eems not working the same way, when you press the button, the motor will increase or decrease it speed, and continue at this speed.
So in theory (it need test to validate): if you are out of range, you cannot control the speed but the motor will continue to run
Like with the PowerFunction 1.0

With Bluetooth BLE, the controller is connected to the receiver, and you can decide wthat you are doing if the connection is lose.

With the SBrick (which use BLE too) they choose to add a Watchdog inside the receiver to stop the motors if it didns't receive commands for X milliseconds.
To avoid your models are going out of control

PS: sorry for my English...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by freestorm

[ClassicTrains]

I'm not sure if this was posted yet, I guess not. :)